Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Utah for 2024. Made official in 1959, the state motto of Utah is “Industry,” in reference to the early settlers in the area who, with little resources to rely on, had only their industrious spirits to depend on. Modern-day women business leaders in Utah have continued this tradition of devotion, diligence, and hard work as they lead some of the most innovative and fastest-growing industries in the country, including financial services, transportation, education, tourism, and technology.
Starting off strong in the financial sector, we honor Hannah Williams, the Vice President of Community Engagement and Responsibility for Zions Bank, ranked as one of the best banks to work for and bank with. Williams previously worked in communications and grantmaking for The New York Community Trust and David Rockefeller Fund. She brought her talents to the banking industry in 2021 in her first role with Zions Bank, and in under three years, she was promoted to VP.
Promoting tourism in the great state of Utah, honoree Krista Parry is the Chief Development Officer for Visit Salt Lake, a nonprofit that promotes Salt Lake as a destination for travelers seeking a combination of big city amenities and breathtaking natural wonders. Parry uses her passion for connection and experience as a senior executive in the ski industry to promote the Crossroads of the West, Salt Lake.
Lastly, we extend our honors to a leader in the technology industry, Kyra Augustus. As Vice President of Pricing Operations for Telarus, Augustus has a key role at the largest privately-held technology solutions brokerage in the US. During her nine-year tenure at Telarus, she rose from an entry-level role to a member of the C-suite.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Utah for 2024.
1. Hannah Williams
VP of Community Engagement & Responsibility, Zions Bank
A philanthropic leader and champion for the nonprofit sector, Hannah Williams is the Vice President of Community Engagement and Responsibility at Zions Bank, which has been ranked as one of the best banks to work for and bank with. She was promoted to this role in late 2023. Previously, she served Zions Bank as the assistant vice president of community engagement and responsibility, where she managed the charitable giving life cycle, including receiving and tracking head office donation requests, preparing the Giving Committee agendas, and notifying nonprofits of their donation status.
Up until December 2023, Williams was also the chief operating officer for Almora Advisors, a national consulting firm for nonprofits, foundations, and corporate grantmakers. In this role, Williams led business development in the Western US by helping clients strengthen their fundraising, board governance, and strategic planning efforts. A business-savvy thinker, Williams also managed the company’s budget and accounting systems. From 2021 to 2022, she and the leadership team grew revenue by 329% and doubled the number of clients served.
Williams previously worked in communications and grantmaking capacities for The New York Community Trust and David Rockefeller Fund. She received her undergraduate degrees in economics and finance from Westminster College in Salt Lake City and her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University in New York. She serves on numerous boards and committees, including the Westminster Honors College, Utah Philanthropy Day, and Utah Nonprofits Association.
2. Tiffany Altice
VP of Business Development, Teleperformance
Tiffany Altice is the Vice President of Business Development at Teleperformance, a global digital business services company. Their global scale and local presence allow them to be a force of good in supporting their communities, their clients, and the environment. Altice’s role is to create meaningful world-class omnichannel customer experiences in customer experience, back-office, and knowledge service management.
Several years of operations and client services have given her a unique insight into client needs and real-world execution. With over 20 years of experience, she connects her clients with solutions to innovation through personalized and value-added experiences that provide a better-equipped agent and reduce customer effort, creating meaningful world-class customer experiences. Before her current role, Altice had multiple roles at Teleperformance, starting as a customer service representative and eventually being promoted to a management role in 2010, before joining the C-suite as VO in 2017.
Altice started her career at AOL, where she was directly responsible for agent development and managed and developed a team of assigned agents to meet and exceed performance, quality, end-user satisfaction, client satisfaction, and any other relevant key operational metrics by providing them guidance, support, and education.
3. Sharon Cook
Chief Marketing Officer, Mountain America Credit Union
Sharon Cook, Chief Marketing Officer at Mountain America Credit Union, is an industry and community leader. She has helped reshape the credit union industry, driving company growth and individual employee development while also focusing on member needs and giving back to the community. Cook is an example for women looking to achieve success while balancing their career and family life.
During her tenure, Mountain America has grown from $2.7 billion in assets and 330,000 members in December 2009 to over $13 billion in assets and nearly 1 million members in May 2021. She expanded the marketing team from nine to over 50 employees and created key teams, including strategic communications, sponsorships and events, financial education, and marketing automation teams. Cook also launched the Mountain America brand in Idaho, Montana, and Arizona while expanding the Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada market share.
Cook’s ability to leverage social media, sponsorships, marketing automation, and key marketing mediums allowed the organization to grow membership at an annual average of 18.84% over the past five years. In 2010, Sterling Nielsen, Mountain America’s president and CEO, unveiled an ambitious 10-year, $10 billion plan. Cook’s successful marketing campaigns and digital savvy were key to the credit union achieving that goal two years early. Her vision and strategy also earned Mountain America the number three spot for credit unions nationally for all social channels and the number two spot for Facebook according to the Financial Brand. Over the years, Cook established numerous programs to support the communities Mountain America serves. She serves as the chair of the Annual Mountain America Swing for the Kids Challenge and actively supports the community by serving on numerous boards and committees.
4. Kate Moss
Senior Vice President & Market Executive, Bank of America
Kate Moss is the Senior Vice President and Market Executive of Bank of America. She first joined the company in 2018 as a relationship manager. Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individuals, small- and middle-market businesses, and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management, and other financial and risk management products and services.
Moss also manages the local market's philanthropy, sponsorships, and community relations; executes national initiatives; and develops and coordinates leadership team communication, protocols, and visibility. She influences business integration and robust employee engagement. Before accepting her current role, she taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah.
Previously, Moss was an executive director at Susan G. Komen Utah. Before that, she was a marketing communications manager at YWCA Utah. Earlier in her career, she worked with St. Mark's Hospital as a marketing communications director. Moss earned an MBA from the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business and an undergraduate degree in sociology from the University of Utah.
5. Becky Dellar
Head of Digital Marketing & Operations, Cognizant
Becky Dellar is the Head of Digital Marketing and Operations at Cognizant. She first joined the company in 2020 as associate director of global campaigns. Cognizant engineers modern businesses. They help their clients modernize technology, reimagine processes, and transform experiences to stay ahead in their fast-changing world. In this role, Dellar leads digital demand generation for field marketing to increase revenue with data-driven, digitally-native approaches. She bridges strategy and operations functions to drive account growth. As a driver of marketing best practices to scale across the organization, she is committed to being a cheerleader for her goal-oriented and strategically-minded team of experts.
Dellar is an accomplished leader and high-performing B2B marketer, driving demand generation for Cognizant to increase revenue, with an emphasis on data-driven first approaches and best-in-class cross-collaboration across the organization. Before joining Cognizant, she built her early career at Citrix, starting as a marketing coordinator and eventually promoted to demand creation manager of media and campaigns. Dellar earned an undergraduate degree in communication and marketing from UC Santa Barbara.
6. Jen Tanner
Assistant VP of Culture & Strategic Impact, Mountain America Credit Union
Jen Tanner is the AVP of Culture and Strategic Impact for Mountain America Credit Union. When she first walked into a branch to start her job as a loan officer, she had no idea she was laying the path for a successful career as an entrepreneur, educator, and experienced influencer in the financial industry. As a high achiever, it has never been enough for Tanner to hold just her full-time positions at Mountain America. Her entrepreneurial spirit has helped her start and run multiple small businesses.
Seeing a need to capture organizational knowledge, Tanner created a knowledge base that now has more than 4,000 process pages and is accessed by thousands of team members each day. As a long-term thinker, she established a network of subject matter experts to ensure organizational knowledge was captured and shared. Additionally, she helped document critical processes to help resolve inefficiencies. Her work led her to dive even deeper into the experiences that make the workplace magical, and she now runs a team whose sole focus is identifying, standardizing, and creating moments that make for a truly unique and enviable workplace.
In 2018, Tanner began fostering her nephew. Two years later, she formally adopted him and was able to complete another dream, becoming a mother. And she did it all while working full-time, running two successful businesses, and graduating with her MBA.
7. Suzette Blakemore
VP of Enterprise Sales, FranklinCovey
Suzette Blakemore is the Vice President of Sales for FranklinCovey’s enterprise division, where she leads 160 salespeople and is accountable for 20% annual growth and almost $160 million in annual sales revenue. At FranklinCovey for 10 years, Blakemore has served in multiple positions – from productivity practice leader to managing director. She is a subject matter expert for FranklinCovey’s communication advantage series and is well known for her practical approach to achieving and sustaining high levels of effective productivity. Blakemore is also a beloved speaker, editor, and co-author of a best-selling book.
Prior to joining FranklinCovey in 2012, Blakemore spent over 20 years in corporate work, moving from a top-producing salesperson to an executive team member. She has held leadership roles in learning development, business development, franchise development, and sales. She has worked with executives at Fortune 500 companies and small business owners in the US, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Brazil, Russia, Japan, and the UK. She is passionate about people and business strategy and is motivated to help others achieve success.
Suzette has served on multiple board and peer committees and enjoys volunteering wherever she can. She has three adult children and three grandchildren. When she isn’t spending time with them, she and her husband love to travel.
8. Brooke DeWyze
Chief Development Officer, PCF Insurance Services
Brooke DeWyze is the Chief Development Officer at PCF Insurance Services, a risk management, benefits design, and insurance brokerage services company. She was appointed to this role in January 2024. Previously, she spent over four years at Moreton & Company, named one of the top 100 privately held insurance brokers in the country by Business Insurance Magazine. She started as a senior VP and eventually was promoted to chief operating officer. She also held several leadership roles at Leavitt Group, one of the top privately held insurance brokerages nationwide.
DeWyze has a broad array of experience in the insurance industry, including finance and accounting, acquisitions, benchmarking, management, strategic and financial planning, executive operations, and agency workflow. Throughout her career, she has been successful in improving agency operations and impacting business growth and profitability. She has developed and managed key production metrics for sales initiatives, where she analyzed financial production data and benchmarked it with industry best practices.
DeWyze earned a degree in accounting from the University of Utah. She is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). She serves on the board of directors for PAR Holdings LLC.
9. Seraphine Kapsandoy
VP of Population Healthcare & Clinical Operations, Centene
Seraphine Kapsandoy is the Vice President of Population Healthcare and Clinical Operations for the Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly one in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members, as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace and the TRICARE program.
A proven leader with a focus on team development and succession planning, Kapsandoy is a results-driven nursing informatics executive with demonstrated success working across all departments in support of industry-leading technology. She leverages her clinical care background and advanced healthcare education to deliver projects in support of quality care, data integrity, security, and regulatory compliance. She has experience integrating new Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) software across large, complex hospital systems and managing multi-disciplinary teams to execute all project requirements.
Before joining Centene, Kapsandoy had multiple leadership roles at Intermountain Healthcare. She started there as a Registered Nurse, and through multiple promotions, she ended her tenure as the regional clinical informatics director, before joining Centene in 2022. Kapsandoy earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Utah and returned to her alma mater to receive a PhD.
10. Megan Druding
Managing Director of Asset Services, Cushman & Wakefield
Megan Druding serves as Managing Director and Asset Services Lead for Cushman & Wakefield’s Utah market. In this role, she oversees the property management staff and operations for the market’s portfolio of office, industrial, and retail products. Druding is the driving force behind Cushman & Wakefield being named the number one property management firm in Utah.
Throughout her career, she has developed an in-depth knowledge of operational efficiency, deal-making, acquisitions/dispositions, and value-added management strategies. In addition, Druding’s strong client service skills and breadth of experience have helped her play an integral role in developing new businesses and advancing several relationships with key clients. She prioritizes creating an engaging and empowering work environment for her team to thrive and takes great pride in all that her team has accomplished.
Previously, Druding served as associate director for Cushman & Wakefield’s Phoenix market, and prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, she was with CBRE in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from the University of Arizona with an undergraduate degree in regional development and received her Certified Property Management (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). She resides in Cottonwood Heights, Utah with her husband and young son.
11. Julie Castle
Chief Executive Officer, Best Friends Animal Society
Julie Castle is the Chief Executive Officer of Best Friends Animal Society, the leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Previously, Castle was an executive director and program director at No More Homeless Pets in Utah.
Following magna cum laude graduation from Southern Utah University, Castle was headed for the University of Virginia School of Law when she happened to stop by Best Friends Animal Society with some friends while on vacation. The sanctuary, the no-kill ethic, and the vision of the founders had a profound effect on her and inspired her to trade away her lawyerly ambitions for an entry-level role at the sanctuary.
As she progressed, Castle had the opportunity to lead Best Friends’ community programs and services division, launching NKLA (no-kill Los Angeles) and helping to launch NKUT (no-kill Utah). From there, she moved into the role of the marketing, communications, and development leader, and her team grew Best Friends’ fundraising by nearly 50 percent to reach an all-time revenue high of $137 million annually. She was promoted to CEO in April 2018.
12. Brandi Connolly
GTM Consultant, Jurna
Brandi Connolly is a GTM Consultant at Jurna, a financial services and career support company on a mission to transform student lending via an online platform that rewards students' future value by matching them with investors that root for success, not interest payments.
Connolly is a business leader, brand strategist, and partnership architect. She grows outdoor, sports, wellness, technology, and lifestyle-minded companies and organizations by defining purpose, creating GTM plans, sharpening strategy, shifting culture, and erecting current digital and experience-focused marketing platforms that drive growth. She possesses the ability to express the purpose and motivate the team members to join her on the journey. In her career, Connolly has helped consumers experience and some of the world’s leading brands like Michelob ULTRA, The North Face, Gatorade, NFL Super Bowl, and Sport Court, as well as boutique brands.
Previously, Connolly was an SVP of marketing for Sorenson Communications and president of Crestline Consulting. Before that, she was the head of global marketing at Sport Court. Earlier in her career, she worked with Rodale Inc. as a special projects manager. Connolly earned an MBA from W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and an undergraduate degree in communications from Southern Methodist University.
13. Rikki Hemsley
VP of Learning & Talent Development, Wasatch Property Management
Rikki Hemsley is the Vice President of Learning and Talent Development for Wasatch Property Management. She has spent the last 23 years developing her career in property management. Starting as a community leasing agent, She was promoted to director of training and then regional vice president.
Hemsley has received the designations of CPM and ARM through IREM, denoting her expertise in the multifamily housing industry, and currently serves as a member of their board of directors. She has helped develop strategies for training and talent development that have ensured success for Wasatch Property Management employees' growth and development. Inspiring others to believe in themselves and tap into their full potential is her true passion.
Hemsley is an Accredited Residential Manager and a Certified Property Manager (CPM) through the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), and she’s a Certified Apartment Manager through the Utah Apartment Association.
14. Laura Peifer
Employee Benefits Consultant & VP, GBS Benefits
Laura Peifer has nearly 30 years of healthcare industry experience and joined the GBS Benefits team as an employee benefits broker in 2011. Formerly with Wise Provider Networks (WPN) as a principal consultant, she handled the negotiation, contracting, and management of custom healthcare networks. In her specialized role, she worked with many high-profile and Fortune 500 companies.
At GBS Benefits, Peifer works with large corporate clients headquartered throughout the country. She has experience with both fully insured and self-funded arrangements. Her clients appreciate her strategic approach, which is centered on developing cost-saving strategies. She has partnered with the Associated Builders & Contractors to create an exclusive health insurance pool for businesses looking to avoid community ratings.
Peifer has been a repeat recipient of the prestigious Chairman’s Circle Award, recognizing the top 10 insurance brokers within the nationwide Leavitt Group organization. Within the community, she is a member of Women Who Succeed, a program that provides mentoring, scholarships, and internship opportunities to girls and young women in the community. Peifer also serves on the board of Kids Read! and co-founded the Kids Eat! program, providing meals to children and families at home and after school in Utah. Laura earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah, is a member of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, and is licensed in health, life, and disability Insurance.
15. Marissa Lore
VP of Field Experience, Younique Products
Marissa Lore is the Vice President of Field Experience for Younique Products, which offers high-performance, no-hassle beauty products. The company has a mission to uplift, empower, validate, and ultimately build self-esteem in women around the world.
Lore is a strategic senior sales leader and distinguished industry trainer with 10 years of experience effectively activating teams to enhance sales results and influence behavior. She innately identifies individuals' strengths as a way to accelerate personal and group excellence and transforms obstacles into opportunities with perspective, collaboration, and resourcefulness.
In previous roles at Younique Products, Lore served as the senior director of sales, a director of sales, and a director of sales training. After a brief time at Xyngular Corporation as head of field development, she returned to Younique as VP. Earlier in her career, she had several roles at L'Oréal, a top cosmetics brand. Lore has a BA in communication and culture from Indiana University Bloomington.
16. Michelle Richardson
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Proper Seven
Michelle Richardson is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Proper Seven, a full-service creative marketing agency. As a serial artist and entrepreneur, she is obsessed with driving growth and results through the creative vehicles of visual storytelling, brand building, and marketing. Seeking those prepared to challenge the status quo, who dare to create remarkable products and brands that will stand the test of time, Richardson believes that a brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another.
Richardson has worked with many successful businesses and technology startups, where she played a key role in fundraising events to secure seed and series rounds through brand and marketing efforts. She has occupied a number of leadership roles, where she has led and assisted a number of victorious teams, products, campaigns, and projects. She is well known for the creation, establishment, and growth of many outstanding and flourishing brands. Her chef-d'oeuvre is being a published editorial designer, mother to her children, and co-founder of Proper Seven.
Richardson is a trained and awarded fine artist and graduate of the Hein Academy of Fine Art and Atelier, where she trained in the discipline of portraiture and human form, and taught in the ways of the Old Masters. She holds a BA in art and visual communication and design from Utah Valley University, a Brand Management degree from the University of London, as well as a professional certificate in UX design from Google.
17. Laura Stireman
Regional Vice President, WCF Insurance
Laura Stireman the Regional Vice President of Utah at WCF Insurance. In this role, she focuses on assisting agencies with WCF’s staged growth into multi-peril products, along with leading and coordinating many aspects of sales operations, including core functions, procedures, incentive trips, and feedback councils.
Stireman has been with WCF Insurance for 25 years and has held a variety of positions. She started with the company as an agency relations manager. She was promoted to director of agency relations in 2018 and then again to VP of sales operations in 2019, where she was responsible for the overall strategy and the direction, selection, supervision, and support of the sales team. She was promoted to her current role in 2020.
Stireman most enjoys the opportunity to work with people from varied backgrounds. She loves to volunteer and currently serves on the Utah Black Chamber Board. She also volunteers with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and Judge Memorial High School. When not working or volunteering, Laura enjoys traveling, hiking, and exploring.
18. Aubrey Bates
Owner, Lifestock Consulting
Aubrey Bates is the Owner of Lifestock Consulting, a personal and professional coaching service. Motivated by her aspiration to effect change, Bates has redirected her attention from the corporate sphere to the community. As a woman with numerous interests, she has resumed working directly with individuals and organizations as a highly sought-after consultant, coach, and mentor.
Renowned for her practical approach to strategy, coaching, leadership, and organizational development, her expertise extends beyond being an advocate for operations and efficiency. Her diverse experience, combined with her enthusiasm, determination, and insightful comprehension of cultural and organizational nuances, creates an exceptional blend of skills. Bates has been honored with numerous awards during her career, including recognition by Utah Business Magazine as one of Utah's most accomplished and influential women and acknowledgment by Utah Valley Magazine as one of the top 40 professionals under the age of 40 who are propelling the future of business.
Her corporate experience includes several high-level leadership roles, including the chief operating officer of Dentive, the VP of people at Young Living Essential Oils, and president and co-owner of Spherion of Idaho. She also served as an advisory board member of the Women’s Leadership Institute and an advisor to the League of Allies.
19. Kerry Norman
EVP of Operations, CHG Healthcare
Kerry Norman is Executive Vice President of People and Operations at CHG Healthcare in Salt Lake City. In this role, she leads a variety of teams, including talent management, operational services, real estate and workplace, and financial operations groups.
Prior to joining CHG in April of 2017, Norman spent 17 years at the Capital Group Companies in Los Angeles in a variety of HR leadership roles. Previously, she was a talent acquisition leader at FedEx, where she focused on hiring for all operations in their western region. She started her career at Prudential Financial in their accelerated leadership development program. Norman holds a BA from Boston College in economics and has participated in the executive leadership program at the Kellogg School of Management.
20. Mairi Leining
Chief Executive Officer, People's Health Clinic
Mairi Leining is the Chief Executive Officer at the People's Health Clinic (PHC), a national award-winning, free, community clinic that serves as an essential safety net for the uninsured residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties, Utah. Most PHC patients are undocumented residents who live below the 100 percent Federal Poverty Level and are not eligible for government subsidies.
Leining is also an adjunct assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah. Prior to joining People’s Health Clinic, she worked as a hospitalist and served as the ICU medical director at the Park City Hospital. She has also worked as a hospitalist in Lake Tahoe and at the University of California San Francisco.
Leining graduated magna cum laude from Rice University with a BA in anthropology. She received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed her residency training in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. She received her MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Leining lives in Park City with her husband, two boys, and five pets.
21. Natalie Okeson
VP of Corporate Responsibility & External Affairs, Clarke Capital
Natalie Okeson is the Vice President for Corporate Responsibility and External Affairs for Clarke Capital Partners, a family office headquartered in Utah’s Silicon Slopes. In her role, Okeson drives the corporate responsibility efforts of her company while enhancing the efficacy of those of its portfolio companies. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Labor and Honor Foundation, the private foundation of the Clarke family.
Okeson’s previous roles include serving as the northern Nevada director for US Senator, Jacky Rosen; the executive director of PHOCUSED, a health and human services advocacy nonprofit in Hawaii; and the director of development at Utah Valley University. She spent several years in legislative affairs, national campaigns, and higher education public service and outreach.
Okeson holds an MA degree in nonprofit management from the University of Georgia and an MA in political science from Virginia Tech, and she is pursuing a graduate certificate in corporate sustainability and innovation through Harvard. She sits on the board of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce and two public school community councils, and she was a BusinessQ Magazine 40 Under 40 recipient in 2022. Okeson and her husband have three children.
22. Robyn Burkinshaw
Founder & CEO, BlytzPay
Robyn Burkinshaw is the Founder and CEO of BlytzPay, a fintech startup focused on payments technology. She is a highly motivated, driven executive with a passion for improving financial access for everyone.
Burkinshaw has held several prominent positions in both law firms and fintech startups prior to founding BlytzPay. She began her career as a business development executive at an established law firm, where she quickly grew the practice capacity by 80%. She then moved on to create the Orange Marketing Group, her own agency that specializes in home financing. Lastly, Burkinshaw became part of another fintech startup before funding BlytzPay in 2016.
Since launching BlytzPay, Burkinshaw has spearheaded initiatives on every level – from growing their customer base to creating innovative payment mechanisms. Her success can be attributed to her ability to navigate complex legal systems while still managing a resilient team culture. Moreover, she is determined to use technology as a tool to provide accessible banking services and options to all communities, including those who have historically been excluded from traditional banking systems.
23. Katie Lattanzi
VP of Convenience Retail, Swire Coca-Cola, USA
Katie Lattanzi is the Vice President of Convenience Retail for Swire Coca-Cola, USA. She’s a strategic sales executive with over 20 years of experience identifying, conceptualizing, and implementing successful sales strategies to strengthen customer relationships, increase market penetration, and boost revenue in various channels within CPG.
Lattanzi is a dedicated, highly trained team leader with a successful track record of developing high-performance cultures and coordinating multiple projects simultaneously across large, cross-functional teams. She’s also a coach and mentor for her team to improve sales and negotiation skills. As an open-minded, analytical problem solver adept at negotiating win-win outcomes, Lattanzi is an expert at forging multi-year partnerships, galvanizing internal resources, and instilling a common vision to facilitate business development. She's a consumer packaged goods retail expert with keen insight into market demand, competition, pricing, and consumer behavior to focus strategic efforts to optimize case volume, revenue growth, share growth, and margin expansion.
She previously held multiple leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company, including VP of national retail sales - Albertsons, where she executed several key initiatives across Albertsons Companies that led to an average growth rate of 7.8% in the first three years. She was also recognized globally for revitalizing Albertsons’ sparkling soft drinks business by placing over 450 attention-getting, interactive iconic Coca-Cola end-caps within their stores, resulting in over 5.8% in Coca-Cola revenue and a positive. Earlier in her career, she worked as a sales manager for the Pepsi Bottling Group. Lattanzi has a BA in organizational communications from California State University, Chico.
24. Anastasia Lamb
VP of Program Management, Onbe
Anastasia Lamb serves as Vice President of Program Management at Onbe, a fintech that manages business-to-consumer instant, digital payments. In her role, she leads a team of project and program managers to deliver transformational, mission-critical projects. She continues to develop portfolio management and prioritization strategies that enhance bottom-line performance for Onbe.
Before joining Onbe, Lamb served as vice president of the enterprise program management office (ePMO) at HealthEquity, where she spearheaded the creation of the ePMO. She also held leadership and individual contributor roles at HealthEquity, SelectHealth, and Intermountain Healthcare. Lamb earned an undergraduate degree in business management from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
25. Kyra Augustus
Vice President of Pricing Operations, Telarus
Kyra Augustus, 32, is a dedicated professional with a nine-year tenure at Telarus, where she began her journey from an entry-level position and progressively ascended to the role of VP of Pricing Operations. Within Telarus she is responsible for the overall productivity and effectiveness of Cable, LEC, Mobility, and Telco pricing teams. Kyra fosters close working relationships with the internal teams, partners, and suppliers to ensure efficient operation and success within the pricing team organizations.
Beyond her career, Kyra is an avid reader, enthusiastic cyclist, and a compassionate volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Her commitment to both personal and professional growth exemplifies her resilience and passion for making a positive impact.
26. Natalie Birrell
Senior Vice President of Product Engineering, AMH
Natalie Birrell is the Senior Vice President of Product Engineering at AMH, where her visionary leadership has propelled the company to new heights of innovation and success. She is a strategic-minded technical executive with over 20 years of experience in software engineering, product management, and UX design. She boasts a proven track record of building high-performing teams, solving complex problems, and delivering exceptional products that drive tangible business outcomes.
Birrell previously held senior leadership positions at Entrata and CHG Healthcare Services. Throughout her career, she has led digital and agile transformations, developed and delivered high-value solutions, and fostered a culture of diversity and innovation. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Birrell actively champions initiatives to address gender disparities in the technology sector. She believes in creating workplaces where diverse voices are celebrated, not just heard. Birrell’s mentorship programs and outreach efforts empower individuals, particularly women, to thrive in STEM fields, leaving an indelible mark on the industry's future.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Birrell’s impact extends to community outreach programs, where she has been a driving force in inspiring young girls to pursue careers in technology. Through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, Birrell has been instrumental in bridging the gender gap in STEM education and encouraging the next generation of female leaders. Birrell holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Utah. She is the proud mother of five children and is raising them to realize their potential, to be allies, and to be advocates for others.
27. Krista Parry
Chief Development Officer, Visit Salt Lake
Krista Parry is the Chief Development Officer for Visit Salt Lake, a private, nonprofit community organization promoting Salt Lake as a travel destination. Driven by a passion for connection and integrity, Parry has spent the last 20 years helping brands move from transactional connections with their customers to transformational experiences. The majority of the two decades was spent as one of the only female senior executives in the ski resort industry.
During this time, she pioneered social campaigns and digital media platforms, evolving resort brands into active lifestyle communities, and shaping the industry’s online norms. As SVP of partnerships and media at POWDR, one of the largest ski resort operators in North America, Parry launched a new division securing and overseeing $25mm in partnership revenue from globally recognized brands, including GoPro, Coca-Cola, and Under Armour.
Before her current role, she was the co-founder and CEO of SisterUp, an organization that elevates the voices of female connectors, thinkers, and builders who are making a positive impact in society. Parry also served as the chief operating officer at CRUDE, a soap-free skincare company. Earlier in her career, she had multiple roles at Park City, the largest ski area in the United States, including communications coordinator, communications manager, and marketing director. Parry holds an undergraduate degree in communication, journalism, and related programs from Utah State University.
28. Jane Binzak
Chief People Officer, BAXIMUS
Jane Lanoue Binzak, JD, is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of proactive leadership experience in various industries, including management and business consulting, retail and restaurants, healthcare, biotechnology, and legal. Her career has been defined by her commitment to drive organizational success through people-centric strategies fostering environments where team members can thrive. Jane has consistently demonstrated her ability to transform the people discipline into a strategic business plan, building tremendous cultures, and propelling organizational growth.
As the current Chief People Officer, Business Consultant, and Risk Advisor at BAXIMUS Enterprises LLC, Jane has made significant contributions to its success by aligning purpose driven cultures, defining organizational development, and redefining the employee value proposition to support business strategies.
Jane extended her positive influence and her ability to increase employee engagement across multiple service industry segments. In the senior living segment, she was recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as the top 25 Certified Best Place to Work in the Aging Services sector. In the healthcare segment, she created a high-growth platform supporting a 450% increase in revenue and a 400% increase in employee count. In the laboratory and restaurant segments, she repetitively built strong cultures. Chain Leader Magazine recognized her for having retention rates 30% better than the industry standard.
Her active professional associations, including the MN and WI Bar Associations and SHRM, reflect her recognition as a thought leader. Recently she led impactful leadership sessions at the Human Capital Management Congress.
Jane brings a distinctive blend of critical thinking, business acumen, and collaborative teamwork to her professional roles. Holding a JD from Marquette University Law School and a BA in Public Administration, she enriches her expertise with a background in the private practice of law and experience as a collegiate athlete.
29. Jody Niemann
Vice President of People & Culture, Utah Motorsports Campus
Jody Niemann is the Vice President of People and Culture of Utah Motorsports Campus, an auto, motorcycle, bicycle, kart racing, and corporate event facility located in Grantsville near Tooele, Utah. Niemann is an innovative, forward-thinking leader, providing guidance and direction to executive leadership and associates during a high-growth development phase of the company. She is committed to people strategy and company culture.
In her current role, Niemann developed company culture from start to finish inclusive of all team members, and under her leadership, company acquisitions grew from one entity to three in one year, creating a fast-paced, high-growth environment for associates, leaders, and mentors to thrive together.
Earlier in her career, she was a tour player for the LPGA. From there, she landed a role as an assistant golf coach at the University of Arizona and then as a head golf coach for the University of Nevada, Reno. In 2011, she rose to the director level at Walters Golf and then Topgolf. She also served as the general manager of Royal Links Golf Club, where she established a leadership framework and program development to drive effective organizational communication and cultural alignment. Niemann graduated from Arizona State University with an undergraduate degree in communication.
30. Ciera Broberg
VP of Global Partner Experience, Telarus
Ciera Broberg has been in telecommunications for 18 years. She is currently the Vice President of Global Partner Experience at Telarus, and over her tenure, she has focused on business operations and has been instrumental in leading a change management approach for impactful business transformations.
Broberg’s passion lies in stepping back and strategically analyzing how things can be done differently. She is an advocate for innovation and believes in leveraging both custom-built solutions and existing applications to propel businesses forward. Her expertise lies in identifying operational efficiencies that drive productivity and enhance overall performance.
She works in an industry that is primarily male-dominated and built off of building long-lasting relationships. Her ability to connect with clients and colleagues alike ensures a collaborative environment that fosters growth and success. This has made her very successful in her career. Her dedication to driving operational excellence and embracing innovation will undoubtedly contribute to our continued success.
31. Claudia Reese
SVP of People & Culture, NetDocuments
Claudia Reese leads Human Resources as Senior Vice President of People and Culture at NetDocuments, the world’s number one trusted cloud platform, where legal professionals do their best work. In her role, she leads the human resources and people function driving strategies to optimize employee experience and business success. She continues to develop best-in-class talent with year-over-year growth scaling the company to its current unicorn status.
Reese brings a wealth of experience to the leadership team and believes in the profound impact improving employee engagement with transparency and purpose has on driving the company’s success. She has had experience leading the people function at a startup Womply, and has several years of HR roles at Ivanti and eBay. Reese earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from Westminster College (now University) and a Master’s degree in Educational Counseling from the University of Phoenix.
32. Kaitlin Evans
SVP of Human Resources, Castle & Cooke Mortgage
Katie Evans holds the position of Senior Vice President of Human Resources and is a member of the Executive Team at Castle & Cooke Mortgage. She has played a key role in guiding the company through the ever-changing landscape of the mortgage industry. In her role, Evans orchestrates the entire spectrum of the employee experience, from formulating strategic recruitment initiatives for growing current branches and expanding into new markets to overseeing benefits, compensation, training, and employee advancement. While at Castle & Cooke Mortgage, the company has expanded and grown its retail offerings and footprint.
Evans emerges as a paragon of leadership in the corporate landscape. Evans has been with Castle & Cooke Mortgage for over eight transformative years. Commencing her journey as an HR generalist, her ascent through the ranks is a testament to her commitment to the success of the organization.
33. Heather Curtis
Executive Director, I THRIVE Incorporated
Heather Curtis is the Executive Director at I THRIVE Incorporated. A project that began in January 2015 with 501c3 status achieved in February 2019, I THRIVE was designed to break down the stigma associated with survivorship of sexual violence. The original vision of I THRIVE was to create a culture that emphasized the importance of providing safe spaces for survivors to be believed, reclaim their narratives, and facilitate safe routes to justice and reporting. Curtis and her team continue to provide information for survivors of sexual violence on the website and are building the infrastructure necessary for future potential offerings, including mental health services and social justice and awareness campaigns.
Up until 2022, Curtis was the medical director and attending psychiatrist for Bingham Healthcare, where she served the 10-bed ‘New Leaf’ behavioral health unit associated with Bingham Memorial Hospital (BMH). Before that, she had the same roles at Steward Health Care, providing care on a 22-bed inpatient behavioral health unit in West Valley, Utah, where she managed a team of APRNs, social workers, and nursing staff.
Curtis completed medical school at the University of Utah, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She then completed an internship in internal medicine at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. She returned to the University of Utah to complete a psychiatry residency at the University Neuropsychiatric Institute, now Huntsman Mental Health Institute, in Salt Lake City. During residency, Curtis was certified in Global Mental Health, Complementary Medicine practices, and Traumatology with an emphasis on veteran trauma and sexual violence. She is currently studying the developing psychedelic sciences with the California Institute of Integral Studies.
34. Brandi Smith
Vice President of Development, Operation Underground Railroad
Brandi Smith’s career is marked by a relentless dedication to combating human trafficking and driving significant positive change. As the Vice President of Development at Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), her strategic vision, leadership, and commitment to collaboration play a pivotal role in advancing the organization's mission to rescue and support survivors of trafficking. Her role focuses on expanding donor markets and her expertise lies in crafting comprehensive development strategies and collaborating closely with the leadership team to identify funding needs, preferred targets, and effective approaches. With an impressive track record, Smith has spearheaded strategic fundraising endeavors encompassing donor cultivation, grants, and impactful fundraising campaigns that provide critical support to anti-human trafficking operations.
Her achievements go beyond financial metrics. Her innovation has led to a transformation in grant application processes, streamlining efficiency and accessibility, thereby increasing grant awards and funding. She has cultivated impactful strategic partnerships that have expanded O.U.R.'s presence among target donors and strengthened community involvement. Smith’s leadership extends to nurturing and guiding a high-performing team of development professionals. Her ability to conceptualize and execute innovative fundraising initiatives has garnered international media coverage, highlighting O.U.R.'s vital work and mission.
Smith's career is marked by unwavering dedication to achieving lasting change. Through her leadership, strategic acumen, and commitment to collaboration, she continues to be a driving force in Operation Underground Railroad's mission to fight human trafficking and exploitation, leaving an indelible impact on the lives of survivors and the global movement against modern-day slavery.
35. Cindy Sexton
VP of Client Services & Partner Enablement, Complete Communications
Cindy Sexton is the VP of Strategic Growth for Complete Communications, a global technology consulting firm located in Utah. Complete Communications offers expertise in navigating the complexities of technology utilization. As a technology partner, the company focuses on sourcing, managing, and overseeing the successful implementation of voice, contact center, security, and network services globally.
Sexton is a seasoned professional with two decades of experience in building and developing successful sales and customer experience teams. Her journey began with a shift from nursing school to business sales, leading her to discover a passion for helping people and organizations grow and develop. Sexton’s diverse career portfolio spans through a variety of industries, including advertising, healthcare, transportation, and technology.
Her success is driven by a focus on understanding critical needs, strategically finding solutions, and executing plans with reliability and dependability. Maintaining a reputation for integrity, engagement, and clear communication, Sexton has become a trusted advisor to teams, peers, clients, partners, and competitors. She is a skilled mentor and coach and has helped many achieve their personal and professional goals through her servant leadership style. Outside of her day-to-day professional practices, she is a mother to three daughters, studies as a full-time student, and serves her community through various church and charitable groups.
36. Cornelia Scheitz
Senior Director, Programs & Business Excellence, Autodesk
Cornelia Scheitz is the Senior Director of Programs and Business Excellence at Autodesk. In this role, she is responsible for aligning and empowering teams across Autodesk to deliver platform services that help their customers succeed. She first joined the company in 2016 as a product manager.
Creating and collaborating with diverse, innovative, and high-performing teams is what energizes her. This, and the opportunity to work with brilliant and creative colleagues from analysts to engineers, is what brought her to Autodesk. Together, they step up, roll up their sleeves, and create the possibilities they know lie ahead to make a better, more sustainable world.
Before her career in the software technology space, Scheitz was a VP of science at Transcriptic. She earned a PhD in Genetics from Cornell University, an MS in human molecular genetics from Imperial College London, and an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and cell biology from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany.
37. Cindie Quintana
Senior Director of Philanthropy, Shriners Children’s
Cindie Quintana is a Senior Director of Philanthropy for Shriners Children’s. Shriners Children's is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research, and outstanding medical education. With locations in the US, Canada, and Mexico, they provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of a family's ability to pay.
Quintana is a well-known fundraising, corporate, and political public relations strategist in Utah. She is reputable in six-figure fundraising, development, public relations, communications, and top-level event management. Quintana excels in crisis communications, reputation management, government relations, non-profit management, social media management, digital marketing, agency relations, and philanthropic endeavors.
Before her current role, Quintana was the VP of development and PR for TURN Community Services. She has a "soft spot" for philanthropic endeavors. During her career, she has raised millions in charitable fundraising to benefit programs and services for people with disabilities and the less fortunate. Her portfolio of donors includes banks, corporations, foundations, and individuals. Quintana has a knack for discovering talent in unusual places and building brands with her "fresh eyes" approach. During her time at TURN Community Services, she increased donations by 80% and won nominations for her employer as Best of State in Disability Services in 2021 & 2022.
38. Beth Colosimo
Executive Director, Salt Lake Community College
Beth Colosimo is the Executive Director of Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), Utah's largest college with the most diverse student body, serving more than 45,000 students on 10 campuses, as well as through online classes.
As director of the Miller Business Resource Center at SLCC, Colosimo oversees the Miller Innovation Center, housing the Miller Incubator, the conferencing and meeting facilities, the BRCs in Salt Lake and Park City, and the Global Markets Center. She’s also responsible for marketing and branding all the business services at the Miller Campus in Sandy. She was previously the director for business development resources, overseeing various small business programs at SLCC.
Before moving to SLCC, she was the senior business development manager and co-founder of the Donald N. Franz Pharmacology and Toxicology Scholarship Fund at the University of Utah. Earlier in her career, she was a pharmaceutical sales representative and account manager. Colosimo graduated from Westminster University with an MBA in marketing and from the University of Utah with an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism and mass communications.
39. Karen Leonardi
Senior Development Director, Dumke College of Health Professions, Weber State University
Karen Leonardi is the Senior Development Director for the Dumke College of Health at Weber State University. She transitioned to philanthropy in higher education after dedicating more than three decades of expertise to the Utah health insurance industry. She devoted years of her career to Intermountain Health Care as a senior business development executive. Additionally, she worked as a senior associate and consultant at Mercer.
Leonardi exercised her entrepreneurial spirit and founded Leonardi Benefit Design, Inc. in 2005. She built a solid practice with a reputation for exceeding her client's expectations in strategic benefit planning. As a Utah native, community involvement is an absolute priority for Leonardi, who serves as a member of many local boards and foundations. She is a past chair of the Ogden Weber Chamber of Commerce and Women in Business. She also serves as a Spiker, an ambassador group for Ogden businesses. Her new appointments are Rotary Club of Ogden, Board of Trustees, Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo, WSUAA Alumni Executive Board, and Commissioner, Utah Women in the Economy.
An exemplary leader, Leonardi was honored as chairperson of the year for the Ogden Weber Chamber and received the YCC Spirit of the American Woman award. Recently, she was honored with the UAHU Jim Haig Call to Action Award, an insurance industry recognition. Leonardi holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Management and an undergraduate degree in communications and business from Weber State University.
40. Tracy O'Connor Mathiason
Director of Procurement Governance & Ethical Compliance, Dyno Nobel
Tracy O’Connor Mathiason joined Dyno Nobel in 2004 and currently holds the position of Director of Procurement Governance and Ethical Compliance. Dyno Nobel Inc. is a global leader in the commercial explosives industry. O’Connor is responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of procurement policies and procedures, governance, risk management, analytics, reporting, training, communications, category management, contracting, supplier due diligence, and interface management.
In support of ESG and sustainability, O’Connor is a key member of the global Dyno Nobel human Rights group, particularly in the development and implementation of an ethical procurement program in relation to human rights and modern slavery ensuring compliance with legislation. Through various programs throughout her career, O’Connor has mentored women both formally and informally.
As a performance-driven, multi-skilled senior manager and creative thinker, O’Connor thrives on collaborating with cross-functional and global teams to take the challenges seen in the big picture and turning them into opportunities for improvement. With 25 years of experience, Tracy has acquired a diverse set of business skills and knowledge that include a keen understanding of identifying business needs and developing, implementing, and managing processes and programs to address them. She has had repeated successes in deploying processes to streamline corporate operations, increase efficiency, and enhance profit performance. O’Connor has a BA from Carleton University.
41. Jamy Kotkas-Dahle
Director of Counseling Services & Health Promotion, Utah Tech University
Jamy Kotkas-Dahle is the Director of Counseling Services and Health Promotion for Utah Tech University, which provides hands-on learning in all disciplines at one of the lowest tuition costs in the US. She was promoted from assistant director of the Booth Wellness Center in 2023.
Kotkas-Dahle enjoys working with students on their new-found adventure at UT and can help address concerns with adjustment, trauma, LQBTQIA+ issues, substance use, spirituality, anxiety, depression, overall wellness, and more.
With over 15 years of experience, Kotkas-Dahle provides therapy services, clinical supervision, wellness programming, public speaking, and teaching in both the public and private sectors. She is a certified QPR Suicide Awareness and Prevention trainer and has trained hundreds of individuals on-campus and in her local community; she is also a certified Prime for Life and Morale Reconation Therapy facilitator. She earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State University and her MSW from Eastern Washington University.
42. Lori Samuels
Senior Director of Accessibility, NBCUniversal Media
Lori Samuels is the Senior Director of Accessibility at NBCUniversal. She leads strategic accessibility programs to institute best practices in inclusive design, provides training for digital product organizations, drives cultural maturity in disability inclusion, and fortifies executive sponsorship. She is one of the global advisors for NBCUniversal’s MyAbilities Employee Resource Group to support disability inclusion in the workplace and authentic disability representation in media.
She was previously a senior accessibility program manager at Microsoft and an accessibility program manager at My Blind Spot, a nonprofit devoted to inspiring accessibility to people of all abilities. She’s held similar roles, as well as management positions, at Zynga, Intuit, Silicon Valley CIO, Kaplan / Achieva, Reel.com, and Brøderbund Software.
Samuels grew up in Boston and moved to San Francisco just in time for the big earthquake in 1989. She and her family now live in northern Utah, where they enjoy skiing, camping, hiking, and boating in the beautiful Wasatch mountains. She has a Bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Computer Science from Boston University.
43. Jenny Lieb
Director of Digital Service Line, L.E.K. Consulting
Jenny Lieb is the Director of the Digital Service Line at L.E.K. Consulting, a global strategy consulting firm that helps clients achieve high-impact results through deep industry expertise and rigorous analysis.
Lieb is an empowering leader at L.E.K. Consulting’s digital strategy practice. With her extensive expertise in digital transformation, strategy formulation, and customer experience optimization, Lieb is a force to be reckoned with. She excels in areas like data and analytics, artificial intelligence, omni-channel operations, and digital work methodologies. She’s also been instrumental in the growth of a technology startup, strategically expanding its reach into the enterprise sector with a laser focus on customer expansion. As she led the customer teams, she fearlessly navigated complex processes like acquisitions and public offerings. Throughout her impressive career, Lieb has served as an executive advisor to clients in diverse industries, such as finance, banking, aviation, healthcare, high-tech, and automotive.
Before L.E.K. Consulting, Lieb was a senior manager for Qualtrics, and earlier in her career, she was a manager and senior consultant for Deloitte. She has a BBA in computer information systems and management from James Madison University and an MBA from the Texas McCombs School of Business.
44. Tanya Ludwig
Director Talent Acquisition, YesCare
As the Director of Talent Acquisition at YesCare, Tanya Ludwig is responsible for building and leading a team of 30 recruiters and support staff for rapid recruiting in more than 100 national correctional healthcare facilities. With over 15 years of experience in human resources and talent acquisition, she has a proven track record of driving innovative solutions to align with strategic business objectives, fostering a talent advisor mindset with internal customers and teams, and developing and managing social media and other technology-based talent branding strategies.
She is a talent acquisition leader with expertise in aligning innovative solutions to achieve business objectives. She is accomplished in building high-tech, high-growth teams with a keen focus on leadership, full-cycle talent acquisition, culture, DE&I, and process improvement in fast-paced environments. Her happy places are healthcare, CPG, iOT, cybersecurity, AI/ML, engineering, product, design, and corporate recruiting.
Ludwig has a Bachelor of Business Administration, with a focus on management and operations, and an MBA in business administration and management from the University of Phoenix. She also has an Associate of Science in Fire Science and Firefighting from Utah Valley University.
45. Tiana Rogers
Senior Director of Impact Strategy, Sorenson Impact
Tiana Rogers is a serial entrepreneur, transformational coach, and applied social impact researcher; as a PhD, not an MD, she prescribes perspective, not prescriptions. Rogers currently serves as Senior Director of Impact Strategy at the Sorenson Impact Center, located within the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.
Her career has centered on helping large- and small-scale public and private entities use data to address and solve difficult social problems. Rogers is also co-founder and chief operating officer of BLK Haven, an online mental health platform connecting Black people to Black clinicians.
Example brands and teams that Rogers has worked with include Starbucks, Target, Netflix, the University of California Berkeley, JPMorgan Chase, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and the International Leadership Institute. She is a 2017 Outstanding Young Minnesotans Awardee, 2020 Visionary Leadership Awardee, Utah Business Magazine’s 2021 Inspirational Leader award, University of Utah’s 2022 Career Champion of the Year, and Girl Scouts of Utah’s 2022 Life Skills Girl Champion Honoree. Rogers is deeply passionate about making an impact and empowering underrepresented people in entrepreneurship, mental health, and wellness.
46. Nicole Barbaro
Director of Communications & Marketing, Heterodox Academy
Nicole Barbaro is a passionate writer, educator, and scientist with diverse experience in the nonprofit education sector working to improve higher education. Barbaro currently works as the Director of Communications and Marketing at Heterodox Academy, where she leads their organization-wide communications strategy and manages external communications, owned content, and all owned channels.
Barbaro has also been an adjunct professor of psychology for six years, most recently at Utah Valley University. She is an accomplished social scientist having published more than 50 scholarly journal articles, research reports and briefs, and numerous popular press articles in outlets, such as Inside Higher Education and Behavioral Scientist. Barbaro earned her PhD in Psychology, with a specialization in evolution and human development from Oakland University.
47. Aurelia Redd
Senior Director of People & Culture, CHG Healthcare
Aurelia Redd is the Senior Director of People and Culture for CHG Healthcare's Digital Marketing Organization. She is distinguished by her exceptional leadership and innovative approach to organizational development. Since joining CHG Healthcare in 2017, Redd has played a crucial role in advancing implementation functions and has been a transformative force in shaping a vibrant and inclusive workplace culture.
Key to her achievements at CHG Healthcare is her role in leading the women in technology inclusion group, WIT & Wisdom. Here, she has been instrumental in promoting gender diversity and empowerment within the tech sector. Redd also spearheads her organization's mentoring program, significantly contributing to the professional growth and development of employees.
Before joining CHG Healthcare, Redd had an extensive 20-year career at SelectHealth. Demonstrating exceptional skills in operations, business systems, and technology implementation, she assumed a leadership position in 2006. Her ability to build and transform teams and functions was a prelude to the significant impact she would later make at CHG Healthcare. As a transformational leader, Redd excels in both talent development and organizational evolution, making her an invaluable asset to CHG Healthcare and a notable figure in her industry.
48. Shalini Kesar
Director of Masters of Cybersecurity Program, Southern Utah University
Shalini Kesar is a professor in cybersecurity and Director of MS Cybersecurity with the Information Assurance (CSIA) Program at Southern Utah University (SUU). Her research expertise is in cybersecurity, including risk management, policy, compliance, and computer crime. She has published mainly in the area of cybersecurity and women in tech. Kesar has been in front of the classroom for over 27 years across the globe. Her teaching includes cybersecurity risk management, governance, risks and compliance in cybersecurity, computer ethics, and cyber law.
At a personal and professional level, Kesar is passionate and an advocate for increasing the number of women in the technology industry. She has initiated and collaborated on many outreach projects in rural schools within Utah. In her last 16 years in Utah, she has spearheaded many projects to increase awareness about education and career opportunities for young women. She leads the Southern Utah NCWIT Aspirations affiliate that covers high schools within 15 counties in Utah. Kesar serves on many leadership boards, including the Utah Women Leadership Network, as an advisory council member of COMPTIA. She is also the founder and president of the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Utah chapter.
Through her mentorship, work, research, and teaching, Kesar has been recipient of the 2023 Utah Women in Higher Education Mentorship award and was recognized as the 2023 SUU Distinguished Faculty for Global Engagement. In 2021, Kesar was named one of the 30 Women to Watch by Utah Business for 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delhi, an MPHIL in information systems from De Montfort University, an MSC in analysis, design, and management information systems from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Doctorate in Information Systems from the University of Salford from the UK.
49. Jen Luker
Senior Manager of Front-end Engineering, StrongDM
Jen Luker is the Senior Manager of Front-end Engineering for StrongDM, a dynamic access management platform that puts people first by giving technical staff a direct route to the critical infrastructure they need to be their most productive.
Luker has spent the majority of her career as a full-stack developer using PHP, Javascript, ReactJS, and React Native but has a particular fondness for front-end technologies. She is a leader on engineering teams and trains others in ReactJS, Accessibility, and beating imposter syndrome. Her motivations are fueled by a desire to make lives better, whether that be the teams she works with or the customers she supports.
Previously, Luke was the senior manager of software engineering for Nav Technologies. She started there as a senior staff engineer and was promoted in less than two years. She had other leadership roles at Gremlin, Formidable, and Deseret Digital Media. Earlier in her career, she was a web programmer for multiple companies, starting as a web developer at Alorica. Luker earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science from Salt Lake Community College.
50. Malory Monson
Senior Director of Event Operations, Real Salt Lake
Malory Monson is the Senior Director of Event Operations at Real Salt Lake. In this role, she leads an amazing team of event managers and oversees gameday logistics for MLS team Real Salt Lake and NWSL team Utah Royals FC at America First Field. She manages operations for all full-stadium events, including concerts, US National Team competitions, Major League Rugby competitions, international football-friendly games, and more.
Monson is also the founder of Salt City Consulting, a consulting business specializing in large-scale event and travel services, which she launched in 2022. Before that, she had multiple roles at the University of Utah Athletics, starting as team manager for the women’s soccer team and being promoted to assistant athletics director of events, facilities, and operations.
Monson earned an MEd in intercollegiate athletic leadership and administration from the University of Washington and an undergraduate degree in biology, English language, and literature from the University of Utah.